For me this is a very powerful vision of Jesus. You can’t see any insecurity in Him at the moment when He gets up and performs that servant activity. Why? The answer is found on verse 3: The identity of Jesus. It’s the fact of knowing who He is, that He owns an authority given by the Father, that His origin is in God and that His destiny is in God who ables Him to leave His place and execute the work of a servant.

We can see in Jesus the humbleness aspect well founded by the security of His identity in God. What about your identity? Where is it based? Who are you? What are the values that lead your life?

Read Ephesians 1:3-14 to find what God did for you. Now read it again replacing the pronouns we, us for I, me. Seek to find where you are positioned and what happened to you because of that. Why is our identity so important? Because who I am defines how I serve.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

How was
the level of the love of Jesus for those considered His own in the world?

Who are
these that Jesus refers as “His own in the world”?

What did
the devil do?

What the
Father did for Jesus?

Where
Jesus came from? Where was He going to? What that teaches you about Jesus?

This is some
of Jesus’ last moments. He already knows His destiny and His remaining time. In
these last instances He starts to do what He knows how to do well: to love. How
does He show this love? Serving. He already knew He was going to be betrayed
and for whom. But in spite of that, He loved (including the betrayer). He loved
His own in the world, meaning His disciples, and even those who are not. You
are included as being one of them. He loves you and shows the full extent of
His love by serving us. He serves us so that we can learn how to love those
around us. Even when the end is coming near, Jesus doesn’t assume a fatalistic
or depressive attitude. By the contrary, He tries to use His time in a
productive way: serving.

Note:

To Serve – From Greek
“leitourgia” is a Word originally used for citizens serving in public roles on
their own. Later it passed to include military service or community work. In
the New Testament it is used for the priestly ministry as well as for
altruistic donations. Another word used
as a translation for “leitourgia” is ministry. So, a minister must be a
servant. Who ministers over other lives must be a servant.

The Jews
were celebrating the Passover which was the feast to commemorate when the
people of Israel left Egypt. This feast would go for the whole night. The feast
of the Unleavened Bread started on the
day of the Passover and remained for seven days. During this week the people
wouldn’t use or eat yeast, representing that the people had no time to let the
bread be raised when they were leaving Egypt. Jesus wanted to celebrate the
Passover as well and chose Peter and John to prepare it. Where were they going
to prepare it? Jesus gave the sign. The
sign would be a man carrying a jar of water. They should prepare the supper in
the house where this man entered that, according to tradition, was the house of
John Mark, the writer of the second Gospel.

How is
this text relevant for us? Only because of Jesus’ omniscience, giving every
detail about what was going to happen before it happened? No. The importance is
that the given sign was a man carrying a jar of water. This was a difficult
sign to let pass unnoticed because in the Jewish culture it was the role of
women to draw water from the wells or to carry jars of water. The fact of a man be doing the work of a
woman would be easy to recognize. Why would a man be doing this kind of
service? This may show the heart of a
servant, of someone who saw a need and acted to supply it. Do you want Jesus to
came to have a banquet in your life, celebrating you leaving the life of sin
behind? The sign is a heart of a
servant. God doesn’t call lazy people to do His work. He seeks for servants.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

This week we found there are people who are rejected
by society, full of guilt, shame, loneliness, and are waiting to grasp a sight
of God’s grace. We can have this grace and take this grace to them.

For us to have and live everything God has in stock
for us we first need to have a correct view of who is God. This only comes by
spending time studying the Bible, in prayer, in praise and worship.

We have to listen to His Word and obey Him, be broken
before Him and spend time in worship (not only at the church during praise and
worship time, but also as a personal and individual habit either singing or
declaring His glories).

We don’t need to be
far away from Jesus. He accepts us as we are where we are. We only have to cry
out to Him and He will see us, hear us and answer us. May the Lord bless you!

When the Samaritan went back, what was Jesus’ reaction?
What did He ask?

What Jesus told him?

Read verse 14. What happened to the 10 lepers?

Now read verse 19. What happened to the Samaritan?

What’s the difference between be cleansed and be saved?

Application:

1- The 9 lepers saw Jesus as a mere teacher who could
work miracles, but the Samaritan saw Him as He really is: God. If we have a
wrong vision of whom God is we will be limiting God’s blessing and operation in
our lives.

2- The 9 lepers were cleansed from the leprosy (an
outside healing for an outside problem). The other man was saved (“sozo” is a Greek word meaning the
healing of body, soul and spirit) because of his faith in Jesus as God and as
performer of an act of compassion towards him who felt unclean first because he
was a Samaritan and, second, be was a leper. Only physical healing is not
enough.

1- When the healing happened the man saw it as a
divine miracle. So his attitude was glorifying God in a loud voice. Imagine if
you were a leper for years, with no human touch, acceptance, watching your
flesh falling apart, with a bad stench. You would scream around giving glory to
God. Are you doing that?

2- The former leper went back to Jesus because he saw
Jesus’ divine nature. That’s why he humbled himself and gave thanks to Him. He
recognized Jesus’ Lordship.

3- “_”and”
he was a Samaritan” shows us that this should have been the other 9 lepers’
attitude because they were Jews. But it was a foreigner, considered as unclean,
who saw Jesus for whom He really was.

1- This text describes people rejected by society.
Jesus was passing by closer to Samaria.
Its people were considered uncle-an by the Jews. In the same way was anyone
who’s got leprosy. What other people can you think of that could be considered
unclean today by society?

2- Take time now to pray for lepers; people addicted
to alcohol and drugs; drug dealers; gays; abusers; verbally, physically and
sexually abused people; people in jail; beggars; physical and mental
handicapped people.

Friday, April 18, 2014

What was Paul and Barnabas’ plan? Why Paul and Barnabas disagreed? What was the result of their disagreement? After have been separated by the Holy Spirit, sent by the church of Antioch, Paul and Barnabas left (Acts 13:3,4). Together with them was John Mark, Barnabas’ cousin (Colossians 4:10), but at the beginning of the trip Mark abandoned them, with no explanations (Acts 13:13). Paul wasn’t happy with this, and when he and Barnabas were planning a second trip to encourage the churches planted by them there was a disagreement between them. Barnabas wanted to take Mark along with them but Paul, because of the first experience with Mark, didn’t want. The disagreement was so grave they ended by splitting. Barnabas went with Mark to Cyprus and Paul chose Silas to go with him to encourage the established churches in Syria and Cilicia.

But don’t think that Paul and Mark’s relationship remained broken because of that. No, later in Paul’s ministry Mark became a co-worker in Paul’s ministry. In 2 Timothy 4:11 Paul ask Timothy to bring Mark with him because Mark was helpful to Paul. I believe that even with the disagreement with Barnabas, Paul learnt to see the potential and to create opportunities for people, even those that seem to be not so helpful before. Another good thing that happened from Paul and Barnabas’ disagreement is that now we have two mission teams instead of only one. And we see that even after the disagreement the left to strength the churches. So, people may fail you, but look for the potential in them, because they may still be helpful. There may be conflicts inside our ministry, but do not allow the conflict to restrain you to do God’s work. If you need to forgive, forgive. If restitution is necessary, restitute, but keep on strengthening the church.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

What were there in the church at Antioch? Who were them? What were they doing? What the Holy Spirit said to them?

In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers. Ephesians 4:11 shows us that Jesus gave ministry gifts to the church so that we can edify one another. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, they are special capabilities to accomplish God’s work. Do you already know what your ministerial gift is? Pray, ask the Lord to reveal it to you, ask to people around you at the church if they can discern what your gift is. Do you know who are the prophets and pastors and teachers and evangelists and apostles in your church? Talk to your leadership to know what each one of those is and who is developing these gifts in the church.

Well, the prophets and teachers where worshiping the Lord and fasting. Can you see? Doesn’t matter your level of spirituality, or your position, or your experience, we always have to develop spiritual disciplines in our lives. We worship not only at the church. We have to develop a life of personal and individual worship too. Fasting shouldn’t happen only when the pastor calls out a fasting in the church. We have to develop a life of fasting. Maybe we have to create a weekly, quarterly or monthly fasting program.

And while the prophets and teachers were worshipping and fasting there came a word from the Holy Spirit. When we are in the practice of spiritual disciplines we become more sensitive to the voice of God. In this case the Holy Spirit separated two people for a specific mission. Do you need direction for your life? Here are some spiritual principles for you to exercise: Worship and fasting.

The death of Stephen caused persecution to start. What was the result? What happened when the men from Cyprus and Cyrene arrived in Antioch? The church in Jerusalem sent whom to Antioch? What did He do there? Whom He looked for to help him? What did they do together?

When Stephen died the disciples were persecuted and were scattered for all places. At first this seems to be something bad, but God used this situation to take the Gospel to other lands and people. Sometimes we are confronted with bad situations and our reaction is to pray, asking God to end with the problem, but we never think that maybe God is working, using that situation to teach us something or that maybe the blessing will come as a result of this situation. In the midst of problems we should pray, “Lord, what do you want to teach me?” The persecution caused the Gospel to arrive to Antioch.

The men from Cyprus and Cyrene preached the Gospel to the Greeks and many believed because the hand of the Lord was with the evangelists. Many times we pray asking the hand of the Lord to be with us, and we wait, and we do not take any action. But the text says that they preached and the hand (the grace, the anointing) of the Lord was with them. And as a result, many believed and converted. Do not wait, just act, and the hand of the Lord will be with you. Because of that Barnabas was sent to check these events and when he arrived there he saw the move of God and he started to do what he did best. He started to encourage people and more and more people were added to the faith.

Such was the size of the task that he needed help and Barnabas was reminded of Saul. He went after him and brought him to help him to teach and train the new converted people. People are getting converted? Encourage them. Walk with them. Teach them. You need help? Seek for qualified people or with the potential for the job. Train them, put them to practice what they are learning. Saul was a new Christian. Few years before he had an experience of conversion, was persecuted, spent some time hidden in his homeland. But Barnabas saw the potential in him. Invested in him, spend time with him and put him to work. Be an encourager, teach through example, and create opportunities for people to grow.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Why were the disciples afraid of Saul and didn’t want to meet with him? What changed their minds? What did Saul do after that?

Do you remember Saul? It was at his feet that the witnesses laid their clothes when they went to stone Stephen. Saul used to persecute the Christians. He asked the high priest for letters to go to Damascus to take the Christians there as prisoners to Jerusalem (Acts 7:58; 9:1-2). But on the way to Damascus Saul had an encounter with Jesus and he became a Christian (Acts 9:3-22). He started to preach the Gospel and soon he also was being persecuted because of his faith. He had to flee from Damascus because they wanted to kill him there (Acts 9:23-25), so he goes to Jerusalem to meet the other disciples. But when he got there the disciples didn’t want to gather with him, because they were afraid of him. They thought he still was persecuting them so they didn’t want to trust him. At this moment Barnabas dares to risk himself, talks to Saul, listens to his story finding out how he had an encounter with Jesus and how he started to preach the Gospel in Damascus. Then Barnabas goes to the disciples as a mediator, telling them all he knew about Saul and, specially, how he gave a vote of trust to Saul and thus the disciples should do the same. As a result Saul was accepted among the disciples because of Barnabas’ influence and started to preach in Jerusalem as he did in Damascus.

Can you see? Many times we are going to meet people who erred, failed, and that maybe still are failing and sinning. What is our role as the church? To show the Lord’s grace to these people and accept them in the midst of us, even knowing that they may fail again. It is not easy, but the Lord Jesus teaches us to run after the lost sheep and treat her so that it can become part of the flock. List at least one person you know that is living a very difficult situation, maybe he is even in sin, to whom you can show grace during this week through consolation and/or encouragement.

Monday, April 14, 2014

How is described the crowd of believers? Why? Why there were no needy people among them? How was the testifying of the apostles? Who was Joseph and what did he do?

More and more people were coming to the Lord. This was happening because the testimony of the apostles was given with great power and there was a great grace upon them. If we want to see people be saved then our testimony has to be with great power. Remember Acts 1:8? The power comes when the Holy Spirit comes over us, then we can become witnesses as far as the ends of the earth. Seek this power, seek more of God’s Presence. That way you will receive more of this power and there will be a special grace (anointing) over your life to testify.

We can see that those people’s conversion was genuine. How? By the way they changed their way of thinking and living. The passage describes the crowd of believers as being one in heart and mind. This means they all had the same focus: Jesus. Nothing else was important. This caused them to be released from the material things. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own. They simply shared everything they had, specially helping those in need up to the point there were no needy persons among them.

Such believer was Joseph, also known as Barnabas, a name given to him by the apostles. Barnabas means “son of consolation” or “son of encouragement”. Barnabas was an encourager. He would see a sad person and he would get closer to try to bring some joy, to pray for him, to affirm him, to bring consolation to him. He was also moved by generosity. He had a field, sold it and gave the money to the church to be used for God’s work. And through this example of testimony many other people were converting and being changed in their values towards serving one another, towards their priorities, towards their finances and material possessions. How have you changed after your conversion? Do people notice something different in you? Do people try to follow your example? What can you do to make
your testimony more effective?

Saturday, April 12, 2014

The key point for this week’s devotional is: to be transformed so that we can transform, or the testimony of transformation. Only when we fill ourselves with God and His Word, when we invite Jesus to be not a guest in the feast of our life but the bridegroom, when we obey Christ’s commandments and witness, and when we let ourselves be used by Jesus in spite of our weaknesses, limitations and imperfection, that’s when we are going to taste the profound impact of the Gospel in our lives and we will start to impact lives around us.

If Jesus is not alive in our lives, or if the jar of stone that is our heart is not full of the water of God’s Word, or if we don’t let this Word become a Revelation to the lost world, the world will never be saved and will always be living an inferior joy. What is your answer to this call of the Lord for your life? God bless you.

Friday, April 11, 2014

1- Yesterday we saw the servants represent the church, who should obey Jesus’ commandment to take the Word of God to all the world. Who would be the master of the banquet? We can say that he represents the world / society/ fashion. What is the master of the banquet waiting for? The wine/joy. The world is after joy and without joy the feast can’t go on. The wine represents joy. Did the master of the banquet know where the wine comes from? The world doesn’t know where the true joy comes from. But the church knows where is the source of joy. How can we let the world know the true joy?

2- The master of the banquet called whom? What did he say? Probably the groom didn’t know what the master of the banquet was talking about, and both of them not even recognized that the true Groom was in the feast. Who is the bride for the true Groom? The Groom only can wed a transformed, no stained or wrinkled bride (Ephesians 5:25-27) and this can only happen through the water of the Word.

4- This was the first miracle accomplished by Jesus. Besides changing water into wine what was the final result of this miracle. What was the first miracle Jesus has accomplished in your life? With no doubt it was the miracle of Salvation. It is that moment when the glory of God is revealed and we start to believe in Him. His has happened in your life because some servant came to bring water changed into wine for you to drink. What if we pass this ahead?

Thursday, April 10, 2014

1- What did Jesus tell the servants to do? They were supposed to fill the jar to what amount of water? Water in the Bible represents the Word of God (Ephesians 5:26, John 15:3). If we want to be deep and completely transformed we have to completely fill ourselves with the Word of God. What is the frequency you have read, studied, memorized, and meditated in the Word of God?

2- After the servants filled the jars with water, what did Jesus tell them to do? What would happen if the servants hadn’t taken the water to the master of the banquet? Again the obedience factor is definitive for the supernatural moving of God to happen. How is your level of obedience this week?

3- Two kind of people are highlighted in these verses, the servants and the master of the banquet. Applying to our context and life, who would be the servants and the master of the banquet today? One of the last commandments of Jesus was for his disciples to go into all the world and preach the good news to all creature (Mark 16:15). We saw that water represents the Word of God. So who are the servants? Exatly! The church. It is you. Have you kept your role as a prophet for this generation? If not, why not?

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

1- Even answering to his mother as he did, Jesus still managed to do what she asked of Him. Jesus is always available to give an answer to our needs when they come up. What did Jesus' mother told the servants to do? If we want to see miracles happening in our lives we have to follow Mary's advice and "do whatever Jesus tell us to do". Is the water turning into wine in your life? Is it happening a divine changing in your life? If not, review your obedience status to Jesus' commandments. Have you obeyed to everything he has told you?

2- How many jars were there nearby? What were they made of? In the Bible the number 6 represents "man", meaning his weaknesses, limitations, sinful nature and earthly status. The jars were stone made. Stones are hard elements, with no monetary value. The stones were sculpted until reaching the form of jars, probably with no care or beauty. This was the material Jesus wanted to work with. This material represents our lives. Isn't it true that many times we feel like that? We feel we are limited, weak, sinners, so hard it is difficult to be worked by the Lord. If you feel like that, be of good cheers because this is the kind of people the Lord wants to work with: YOU!!! (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

3- What were the jars for? How was the ceremonial washing done? Read Mark 7:1-4 and Luke 7:44. These jars only served to be filled with water for the ceremonial washing to wash hands and feet. They were even considered unclean, because they would take all the uncleanness of people entering a house. For sure they were never used to keep wine. The opposite is true. Stones were not fit to keep the fragrance and flavor of wine. It is not their nature. But this was the material Jesus wanted to work with. And this material represents our lives. Isn't it true that many times we feel like that? We feel unclean, not fit to be used by the Lord and receive his anointing. If you feel like that, be of good cheers because God chose this kind of people to accomplish the transformation miracle.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

1- Maybe Jesus' mother was the one in charge to organize the wedding, or maybe the meals. Maybe she failed to calculate the right amount of wine needed to attend all the guests at the wedding. What did she do then? What do you think she expected Jesus to do? Maybe that he would go to buy more wine? Or was she expecting him to perform a miracle? The important lesson here for us is that in the time of need she went to Jesus. In your time of need do you go to Jesus, or he is your last option?

2- What was Jesus' answer to his mum's request? Do you think it was a polite answer? Why did Jesus answer in that way? It seems Mary wanted to use some of her mother authority on him but his answer, using the word "woman" instead of mother, shows that she couldn't use her authority on him, specially in relation to his messianic work. Because he was already a man by the Jewish standards (he was 30 plus years old). This is a difficult lesson for the mothers to learn because they never know the time to let their children go. Think about your relationship with your child (if you are the child, think about your relationship with your mother). Take a time to pray about this relationship.

3- Wine in the Bible represents joy (Psalm 104:15; Ecclesiastes 10:19). This means if there was no wine, there was no joy. Here there was joy missing at the wedding, the covenant between two people. Or joy missing at the feast, representing the social relations. How is the level of joy in your life? How is the joy at home, with friends, at the church, with God? Remember: the joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Take a time now to pray about this area.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Three days after Jesus chose his first disciples, he left the region of Jordan and returned to Galilee, where did he go? Who was there? Jesus was a social person. He didn't spend his whole time at the temple or synagogues. He spent time with people, having fun, observing, learning and teaching. How is your social life? You only walk with Christian people? Or just by yourself? What about the non-Christian people? It is when our non-Christian friends find themselves in need that we may have the right opportunity to witness to them about Jesus.

Jesus was invited for a wedding. Weddings are times for celebration. If you are married or dating, have you invited Jesus to be in your marriage/date? When you celebrate your victories do you remember of inviting Jesus to go along? Or do you only remember of call upon him at the trouble times?

Jesus's disciples were invited for the wedding too. Taking chronology in account, this is the first time the word "disciple" appears in relation to Jesus' ministry. What does mean to be a disciple? Doesn't matter where you are, you still are a disciple of Jesus. It could be at your time of resting, entertainment, fun, etc., you still are a disciple of Jesus. How do you show you are a disciple of Jesus?

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Despite many people use this prayer as a formula, repeating it daily (what is not wrong), it is more than that. It is a model for us to pray more effective prayers. Through this prayer Jesus was teaching that we should come before the God with adoration in our hearts, knowing that He is our Daddy and we have access to Him. We should seek to find what His will is so we can obey Him and help His Kingdom to be manifested here in Earth. Then we can bring our needs before Him, nor forgetting that He already forgave us and in the same way we should forgive those who offend us otherwise he won’t hear our prayers (Matthew 18:21-35), and not forgetting that many of our troubles are caused by our evil desires (lust) and our flesh who fights against the Spirit. We have to be aware that the devil is like a roaring lion going around us trying to devour us we should remember we can pray with all confidence because He has dominion over all things and He has all power to answer our prayers. May the Lord bless you!!!